Narragansett Girl Scout Fixes Nature Trail For Gold Award Project

NARRAGANSETT, RI — A girl scout from Narragansett has earned the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, after she fixed the trail at the Bonnet Shores Community Center.

Lindsay Moricas received the award after completing her project "Bridging the Gaps Between Community and Nature."

"I encountered many obstacles when completing this project, some of them being mental blocks, weather issues, and time management," Moricas said. "I overcame these obstacles thanks to being able to speak to my leader, other Girl Scouts, members of council and my mentor to ground myself and move forward more effectively. This helped me realize that I could do any project I wanted if I stuck to it and really wanted to get it done. I also gained a sense of leadership and self-confidence in uncomfortable situations."

During the summer 2021, the Audubon Society donated a large portion of land to the Bonnet Shores Community Center to make it into an area where people can immerse themselves in the local environment. But the community center did not have many resources to make this happen on its own.

The trail was left inaccessible to the public because of a lack of information and an excessive amount of water and unstable ground, according to the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England. These issues with the trail were the driving force for Moricas to choose the community center for her Gold Award project.

To complete her Gold Award project, Moricas built two footbridges that were placed on the trail. She also built a trailhead kiosk which contained information on common wildlife, plant species, trail rules, and a map.

While working on her project, Moricas had support from her mentor and members of the community center. With their help, she created blueprints, material lists, finalized plans, and pinpointed funding. She worked closely with her mentor in the early stages of construction, so she could familiarize herself and learn all the skills and techniques necessary to ensure her project was successful.

Moricas then built a 10-foot and 12-foot-long footbridge, which covered the wet areas that had become flooded during the rainy seasons. She then built the trailhead kiosk. With the project completed, the trail is now open to the public.

"Being the only 17-year-old girl in an Arnold Lumber surrounded by older men was intimidating at first, but once I got the hang of the environment around me,"Moricas said. "I was able to effectively communicate and get my materials. I learned that I enjoy construction and having the skills/knowledge to put things together on my own."

"Since a very young age, I had always felt connected to nature on a more personal and emotional level," Moricas added. "I was constantly outside, playing with any wild animal I could get my hands on, inspecting bugs, hiking trails, and much more. Having access to all these things nurtured my infatuation with the natural world around me and shaped who I wanted to become as I got older. I view my project to give other people, young or old, the chance to feel the same love for nature that I do."